Carriage for inserting and tightening weft yarns

ABSTRACT

A device for inserting weft yarns into the shed of a loom comprises a flat base having a rotatable grooved wheel for guiding the yarn through the shed while pushing the previously laid yarn into locking position in the warp yarns by means of a pair of rollers mounted on the opposite side of the base which rollingly contact a fixed comb on the loom.

United States Patent Inventor Ramon Balaqoer Golobart Calle Valls y Taber-er, 11, Barcelona, Spain Appl. No. 882,858

Filed Dec. 8, 1969 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 CARRIAGE FOR INSER'IING AND TIGHTENING WEFT YARNS 6 Claim, 15 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 139/122 R, 139/ 127 R Int. Cl ..D03d 47/14, D03d 47/16 Fieldofseardi l39/1l,l2,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,506,315 5/1950 Petersen 139/134 3,426,805 2/1969 Shimwell 139/12 Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attorney-Christen, Sabol 8L OBrien and (Finn name changed to Christen & Sabol) ABSTRACT: A device for inserting weft yams into the shed of a loom comprises a flat base having a rotatable grooved wheel for guiding the yarn through the shed while pushing the previously laid yarn into locking position in the warp yarns by means of a pair of rollers mounted on the opposite side of the base which rollingly contact a fixed comb on the loom.

PATENTEDSEP Han 3.603352 SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTED SEP 7 I97! SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTED SEP 7 l97l SHEET 3 0F 4 CARRIAGE FOR INSERTING AND TIGII'IENING WElF'll YARNS The present invention refers to a carriage for the tightening and inserting of the weft yarns which, in addition to inserting the weft yarns into the shed, effects the tightening of the same against the fabric in formation, by pushing the warp yarns in the shed at a point very close to the apex of said shed.

Various systems of inserting elements which effect the tightening of the weft yarn are known, among others, a system based on a rapierlike rigid inserting element, the free extremity of which has an eyelet for the passage of the weft yarn to be inserted in the shed, one side of the inserting element rubbing against the weft yarn to place it in the line of formation of the fabric.

Another system comprises two rigid, aligned, inserting elements with a rectilinear reciprocating movement, one after the other, in such a manner that one of the inserting elements, during the course of its movement, inserts the weft yarn, and upon returning, positions said weft yarn near the apex of the shed, said weft yarn being tightened against the line of formation of the fabric by the other inserting element which follows the first one. This tightening of the weft yarns is effected by means of a protuberance which each inserting element carries at its free extremity.

These well-known systems, while they may be used in looms with very resistant warp yarns and a not very close-woven weft arrangement, have the disadvantage, both in the case of the tightening of the weft yarn in the line of formation of the fabric through the contact with the side of the inserting element, and through the contact of the protuberance of the free extremity of the inserting element, that the warp yarns act as brakes and exert friction on the inserting elements, the latter having a tendency to take up with them the warp yarns which cause said friction, which produces a resulting deformation in the warp, which in addition to limiting the speed of the weaving machine, hurts the appearance of the manufactured fabric.

All of these known systems do not achieve a strong tightening of the weft yarn against the fabric in formation, due to the fact that during the moment in which said weft yarn remains free, and not under the influence of the inserting element, the yarn may be shifted away from the alignment in which the inserting element had placed it. This disadvantage is increased in the case of the insertion of more than one weft yarn in the same pick.

With these known systems, the width of the fabric is very limited, because flexions of the inserting element occur during its course through the shed, because the inserting element is affixed at one extremity to the control of the same, said flexions increasing as it advances, with the result that at the end of its course it does not exert the same pressure upon the weft yarn than upon its entering of the shed, and this produces fabrics with irregularities in the weave.

All of these disadvantages are eliminated with the carriage for tightening and inserting weft yarns, which is the object of the present invention, which produces a forced and continuous opening of the shed, in the vicinity of the apex of said shed, so that the already reversed warp yarns emprison and grip tightly the weft yarn inserted in the shed on the previous pick, while another weft yarn is being inserted in the shed. This permits the manufacture of fabrics of completely uniform weave and of great width, and more than one weft yarn per pick may be inserted, eliminating completely any linear friction between the carriage and the warp yarns and also eliminating any possibility of expulsion or shifting of the weft yarns already tightened.

This carriage may be used for the insertion of weft yarns and tightening of same against the line of formation of the fabric in rectilinear looms, circular looms, or looms of the so-called Transfert type, either horizontal or vertical, and its motion may be effected through magnetic means, mechanical means or other actuating means.

This carriage is characterized essentially in that it is formed of a base which, by means of respective axles, supports at least one freely rotating wheel which projects in part from the base and has a grooved periphery, as well as two freely rotating rollers between which is placed said groovedl wheel, said rollers slightly projecting from the base on the side opposite to that of the wheel, in such a manner that during the movement of the carriage through the shed, the groove of the wheel positions the weft yarn or yarns, aligning them very close to the apex of said shed, while the outside edges of the periphery of the grooved wheel force the warp yarns to open in a location very close to the apex of the shed, i.e., to the line of formation of the fabric, so that said outside edges of the periphery of the grooved wheel compress the crossing portion of the warp yarns corresponding to the previous pick, grasping and imprisoning tightly the weft yarn or yarns inserted in the precedent pick against the fabric in formation.

This imprisoning is effected by the continuous contact and rotating sliding of the rollers of the carriage over the teeth of a fixed comb, so that the pressure exerted by the rollers against the fixed comb is the same which is exerted by the outside edges of the periphery of the grooved wheel on the warp yarns at a point very close to the apex of the shed or line of crossing of the warp yarns, but in the opposite direction.

The axle supporting the said freely rotating wheel may also support a freely rotatable spool storing at least one pick of weft yarn in the case of using the carriage on a loom of the type having a weft storage for each pick.

This same freely rotating spool may also be used for the guiding and positioning of a weft yarn through the shed, in case it is used in the type of looms which insert a double weft in the form of a loop to the middle of the shed, from which point the loop is extended for inserting the other half of the pick along the shed.

Each extremity of the carriage, in case the spool is not used, may carry a clamp for the gripping and releasing of the weft yarn in the looms which clamp the weft yarn upon entrance of the carriage in the shed at each side of the machine and release it upon exiting from said shed.

For better understanding of the invention, a nonlimiting ex ample is described hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage with its principal parts.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the carriage, corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage, shown in FIG. l but completed with a spool for storing and positioning the weft yarn.

FIG. 4 is a lateral view on a larger scale and in a section along line AA of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the carriage, corresponding to FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage shown in FIG. 11 but completed with two clamps applied at the two extremities of the base of the carriage.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the carriage, corresponding to FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage shown in FIGS. 3-5 with spool storing one pick of weft yarn, used on a loom of the type having a weft storage for each pick.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic lateral sectional view, illustrating a shed after insertion of a weft yarn, but before any tightening has occurred.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic lateral sectional view, showing the shed at the moment of the tightening of the weft yarn of the preceding pick and the positioning of a new weft yarn.

FIG. III is a diagrammatic lateral sectional view, showing the shed in the case of the use of the carriage having a spool as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage provided with clamps, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 used on a loom with a fixed weft reserve on each side of the machine.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic plan view of the carriage of FIGS. 3-5, having the spool for positioning the weft yarn, in the case of an application to looms which insert a loop of weft yarn to the middle of the course of the carriage through the shed and undo this loop to the end of the course of the carriage through said shed.

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic plan view similar to FIG. 12 but showing the carriage provided with reciprocating drive means to positively move the same through the shed.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the carriage shown in FIG. 7 attached to a reciprocating drive means to positively move the same through the shed.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown the basic elements of the carriage which may include a generally trapezoidally shaped fiat base, indicated by numeral 1, which is provided with a narrow vertically spaced protecting member 2 extending along the wider side. Between the base and the member 2 there are positioned a pair of rollers 4 and 4 freely rotatably mounted on axles 3 and 3' extending between the base and the protective member and projecting outwardly from the adjacent first longitudinal edge of the base 1. A wheel 6, having a grooved periphery 7 is also freely rotatably mounted on a pivot 5, which is supported on the base and is disposed parallel to and equidistant from the axles 3 and 3 so as to permit a portion of the wheel to project outwardly from the second longitudinal edge of the base.

The modified form of invention shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 includes the base 1 and a protective member 2', which support the axles 3 and 3 for rollers 4 and 4. The pivot 5 attached to the base, in addition to supporting wheel 6', having a peripheral groove 7, also supports a smaller coaxially rotatable spool 8, having a peripheral groove 9, while the protective member is cut away, as indicated at 10, to allow clearance for the spool.

FIGS. 6 and 7 disclose a form of carriage which is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the fact that the base 1' is provided at opposite ends of the narrow side with a pair of clamps l1 and 11, each of which includes a pair of cooperating fingers for picking up weft yarns, between the fingers, and releasing the yarns under tension.

FIGS. 8 and 11 illustrate the operation of the carriage shown in FIGS. 3-5 in the situation where the spool 8 has first been filled by winding weft yarn thereon in the manner of a bobbin, the carriage itself being propelled through the open shed in the manner of a conventional shuttle or driven by means of an operating bar 22 as shown in FIG. 14. During the passage of the carriage through the shed the grooved wheel 6' locks the previously placed yarn 12 by the pressure of the flanges l3 and 13' against the warps 14 and 14 forming the shed 15, the force exerted by the wheel 6 being maintained by the rolling contact of the rollers 4 and 4' against the fixed comb 16. At the same time a new weft yarn 12 is unwound from spool 8 as the carriage moves through the shed.

In FIGS. and 12 the carriage of FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown operating in a manner somewhat analogous to that of a rapiertype inserting means. In this case it will be assumed that the weft yarn 17' has just previously been loosely inserted and the warp yarns 18 and 18' have been crossed by the heddles, as shown in FIG. 9. Next, the free end of a weft yarn 17 is inserted between the fingers of clamp 11 before the carriage is propelled through the shed 19. The yarn 17 is laid into the shed through the groove 7 of wheel 6 in close proximity to the line 20 denoting the edge of fabric 21, while at the same time the flanges l3 and 13' are locking the weft l7 against the previously laid weft 17, as described in connection with the carriage of FIGS. 8 and 11. When the carriage reaches the far end of the shed the free end of yarn 17 pulls out from the fingers of clamp 11. On the next pass of the carriage (from left to right) the weft will be attached to the other clamp 11' and the carriage will be propelled through the shed after the warps 18 and 18 have again been reversed.

FIG. 13 illustrates another way in which the carriage of FIGS. X3- 5 may be used for insertin individual weft yarns having a single ength equal to the wi th of the shed. In this case the single weft yarn 12 is first held in position near the end of the shed from which the carriage is to be propelled (the right side as shown in FIG. 13). The yarn is then wrapped half way around the groove in the spool 8 so that the free end will be drawn into the shed as the carriage passes across. At the same time the previously laid weft 12 will be'locked by wheel 6, as previously described.

As stated above, the means for moving the carriage through the shed may be magnetic or mechanical means. One embodiment of mechanical driving means is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, these means comprising a rigid operating bar 22, attached to the carriage by means of screws 23 and to which a rectilinear reciprocating motion is imparted from outside the looms, for instance in the manner disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 3,392,756 of the same applicant.

Other modifications and improvements may be made by those skilled in the art which would come within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. Weft-inserting means for looms comprising a carriage having a generally flat base to be propelled through the shed of a loom, a wheel having a peripheral groove rotatably mounted on said base to position the periphery thereof beyond one margin of the base, and two rollers rotatably mounted on the base adjacent the opposite margin thereof, said wheel being arranged for guiding a weft yarn in said grooved periphery into the apex of the shed, said rollers being arranged for rolling contact with a fixed comb during movement of the carriage through the shed.

2. The invention defined in claim I, wherein said grooved periphery of the rotatable wheel is defined by a pair of annular margins arranged for contact with the warp yarns during movement of the carriage through the shed to lock the preceding weft yarn in place.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of said wheel is positioned in a line disposed parallel to and disposed between two parallel lines intersecting the axes of said rollers whereby the force exerted by the wheel is opposed by the force of said rollers in contact with the fixed comb.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatable wheel includes a concentrically disposed spool for holding a length of weft yarn.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said spool is disposed for guiding a length of weft yarn into position in the shed.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said carriage also includes a pair of clamps mounted on said base at opposite ends thereof for frictionally holding one end of a weft yarn. 

1. Weft-inserting means for looms comprising a carriage having a generally flat base to be propelled through the shed of a loom, a wheel having a peripheral groove rotatably mounted on said base to position the periphery thereof beyond one margin of the base, and two rollers rotatably mounted on the base adjacent the opposite margin thereof, said wheel being arranged for guiding a weft yarn in said grooved periphery into the apex of the shed, said rollers being arranged for rolling contact with a fixed comb during movement of the carriage through the shed.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said grooved periphery of the rotatable wheel is defined by a pair of annular margins arranged for contact with the warp yarns during movement of the carriage through the shed to lock the preceding weft yarn in place.
 3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of said wheel is positioned in a line disposed parallel to and disposed between two parallel lines intersecting the axes of said rollers whereby the force exerted by the wheel is opposed by the force of said rollers in contact with the fixed comb.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatable wheel includes a concentrically disposed spool for holding a length of weft yarn.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said spool is disposed for guiding a length of weft yarn into position in the shed.
 6. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said carriage also includes a pair of clamps mounted on said base at opposite ends thereof for frictionally Holding one end of a weft yarn.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said grooved periphery of the rotatable wheel is defined by a pair of annular margins arranged for contact with the warp yarns during movement of the carriage through the shed to lock the preceding weft yarn in place.
 3. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of said wheel is positioned in a line disposed parallel to and disposed between two parallel lines intersecting the axes of said rollers whereby the force exerted by the wheel is opposed by the force of said rollers in contact with the fixed comb.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatable wheel includes a concentrically disposed spool for holding a length of weft yarn.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said spool is disposed for guiding a length of weft yarn into position in the shed.
 6. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said carriage also includes a pair of clamps mounted on said base at opposite ends thereof for frictionally Holding one end of a weft yarn. 